The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has successfully concluded the first phase of its 2025/2026 recruitment exercise, screening nearly 17,000 applicants across the country following a process that resumed on November 20, 2025 after a week suspension due to technical challenges and a tragic stampede.
The screening process, which ended on Monday, November 24, involved strict physical and medical examinations that disqualified applicants with tattoos, double piercings, knock knees, bow legs and flat feet. Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations, previously explained that these physical features negatively impede training and performance as military personnel.
The recruitment exercise encountered significant challenges on November 12 when a stampede at El Wak Stadium claimed six lives and injured 28 others. The incident occurred around 6:20 a.m. when approximately 21,000 applicants breached security protocols and rushed through gates ahead of scheduled screening, prompting GAF to suspend operations and implement enhanced safety measures.
When recruitment resumed on November 20, GAF implemented several safety protocols including batching applicants into groups of 600 persons who received SMS notifications specifying their reporting dates, batch numbers and designated centers. The screening expanded to eight sub centers across five locations in Greater Accra, including two centers each at El Wak Stadium, Nicholson Park at Burma Camp and TRADOC in Teshie, plus the Air Force Base at Burma Camp and Eastern Naval Command in Tema.
However, GAF later consolidated operations, announcing on November 24 that all recruitment centers in Accra except El Wak Sports Stadium would be closed. The Department of Public Relations at General Headquarters, Burma Camp, indicated that continuation of documentation and body selection would take place exclusively at El Wak Sports Stadium, though specific reasons for the consolidation were not provided.
During screening, applicants first underwent strict physical examinations where military medical personnel assessed height requirements, physical fitness and body characteristics. The minimum height requirements specify 1.68 meters for males and 1.57 meters for females, while Military Police applicants must meet stricter standards of 1.75 meters for males and 1.70 meters for females.
Captain Arhin emphasized in earlier statements that individuals with knock knees, bow legs, flat feet, double piercings or tattoos do not qualify to join GAF. She explained that although other military institutions worldwide may accept individuals with tattoos or piercings, GAF operates under its own established policies and medical standards designed to ensure operational readiness.
The disqualification criteria reflect GAF’s position that such physical features may negatively affect training and operational performance, hence the medical based restrictions. The policies remain strict despite increasing prevalence of tattoos and piercings among Ghanaian youth, with officials maintaining that every military has its own set down rules and standards.
The 2025/2026 recruitment exercise forms part of the government’s plan to recruit 12,000 personnel into GAF within the next three and a half years. The recruitment drive, which began on October 1, 2025, initially had a closing date of October 31 but was extended to November 7 to allow more applicants to complete submissions after technical issues were experienced on the online portal.
Officials explained that the 2025 recruitment has been decentralized across all 16 regional capitals to make the process more accessible and efficient for qualified Ghanaians nationwide. This marked the first time GAF implemented such widespread geographic distribution of screening centers, though the approach faced immediate challenges with the El Wak tragedy.
GAF has committed to assisting those affected by the stampede, with all injured applicants continuing to receive free medical care at 37 Military Hospital until they fully recover. The Armed Forces announced it will provide a special recruitment package both to the injured once fully recovered and to the families of those who died in the incident.
A Board of Inquiry is currently investigating circumstances leading to the stampede. To ensure a fair process moving forward, the entire Greater Accra recruitment team has been replaced. The new officers overseeing the exercise include Commodore F.A. Nyarko as Director General of Human Resource, Colonel F. Kusi Darko as Director of Manpower, and Colonel G.B. Eduah as Director of Information Technology.
GAF warned the public that non applicants who appear at recruitment centers risk arrest, implementing stringent crowd control measures to prevent recurrence of the tragedy. Captain Arhin stated that military police personnel would be deployed to ensure only individuals with valid application details gain entry, warning that even applicants arriving at wrong times could face disqualification.
Civil society groups, including the Concern Health Education Project, have called for urgent reforms in the recruitment process following the stampede. The tragedy has raised questions about capacity planning and crowd management for security sector recruitment exercises that attract tens of thousands of applicants competing for limited positions.
The recruitment exercise continues as GAF works to complete documentation and body selection for all qualified applicants. Officials have urged applicants to check the recruitment portal regularly for updates and to strictly follow instructions provided in SMS notifications to ensure orderly processing through remaining phases of the selection process.